N.C. OCME Annual Report 1992
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Chapter 3: Natural Deaths
Nearly fifty percent (49.5) of Medical Examiner cases investigated in 1992 proved to be natural in manner. The majority were either unattended by a physician or sudden, unexpected deaths in persons believed to be previously healthy.
Table 6 illustrates by cause the number of natural deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner System, compared to all natural deaths reported to North Carolina's Vital Records System. The State's Medical Examiners investigate a large percentage of deaths involving alcohol and "ill- defined conditions," and all cases of sudden infant death syndrome.
| Class | M.E. Cases | All Deaths* | Percent M.E. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Natural Causes | 4109 | 55585 | 7.4 |
| Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (001-139) | 63 | 1593 | 4.0 |
| Neoplasms (140-239) | 104 | 14185 | 0.7 |
| Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Disease / Immunity Disorders (240-279) | 77 | 1916 | 4.0 |
| Diabetes Mellitus (250) | 56 | 1428 | 3.9 |
| Mental Disorders (290-319) | 173 | 1124 | 15.4 |
| Alcohol Psychoses (291) | 6 | 25 | 24.0 |
| Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (303) | 160 | 224 | 71.4 |
| Diseases of the Nervous System and Sense Organs (320-389) | 26 | 1127 | 2.3 |
| Diseases of the Circulatory System (390-459) | 2982 | 25267 | 11.8 |
| Coronary Artherosclerosis (414.0) | 436 | 2273 | 19.2 |
| Diseases of the Respiratory System (460-519) | 196 | 5121 | 3.8 |
| Pneumonia and Influenza (480-487) | 87 | 1914 | 4.5 |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / Allied Conditions (490-496) | 80 | 2408 | 3.3 |
| Disease of the Digestive System (520-579) | 111 | 2148 | 5.2 |
| Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis (571) | 36 | 746 | 4.8 |
| Congenital Anomalies (740-759) | 47 | 336 | 14.0 |
| Certain Conditions Originatng in the Perinatal Period (760-779) | 19 | 542 | 3.5 |
| Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-Defined Conditions (780-799) | 254 | 498 | 51.0 |
| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (798.0) | 136 | 124 | 109.7 |
*Limited to deaths among North Carolina residents.